I want to go to the store later this week and get different styles of beers to see which I truly truly find to be the best, so I know what to make. I would like to pick up different ypes of beers, but am not sure which ones really have what flavor to be the most astound? If that makes sense...Like What beer is more malty then hoppy, whats the best IPA, kolsch, hefe, stout,altbier,strong ale etc.? Any opinions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Also, whats is there a recipe for a very VERY light beer with a big abv kick?

For every kind of beer on the shelf, there are enough people drinking it to keep that brewery open.

For a straight up n00b who really does want to learn, go get a mix and match six pack of these six beers, or a sixer of each or whatever, to find out what STYLES you like.

Once you know what styles you like you can start workling on what is your favorite brew in the style.

Go drink a Guinness. Just do it. If you think it is "heavy" after you actually drink one jst hang it up, homebrewing is not for you.

Go try an American Pale Ale, like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Try any English Pale Ale, like Bass.

Try an Imperial Pale Ale, like red Hook Long Hammer or Dog Fish Head 60 minute.

that is four.

AFTER those four go back and have a Natural Light by MIller and last a classic Budweiser long neck or Bud draft.

Not trying to be a Richard, I am trying to help. Once you get through that, you can say- hmmm, I like this about those and that about these and we can then provide more specific help.

FWIW (one of) my favoirte thing(s) about homebrewing is all the different beers I get to try in the name of research. My "favorite" beer is whatever style I am in the mood for right now. It will be a different beer tommorrow. Learnthe style, broaden your horizons.

Well, I know some brands that I love, but not sure what recipes out there match up with them. I have had guinness, love dogfish head, love sierra nevada, the only beers i truly dislike, are "light" beers such as miller, naty light, bud, coors, etc....yuck... I am just not good at pointing out what I like about the beer, I suppose. And I also was just kinda curious of the overall boards favorites.

Also, mainly trying to figure out which commercial beer I could relate what Ive made at home with, to give people an idea....guess I worded it weird.

OK, we're getting somewhere now! If you're a fan of Dogfish Head and a Sierra Nevada's various pale ales, then you are on your way to being a hophead. Here are a few more to try. You might not have all of these in your area. Such is the craft brew market, just move onto the next. Also, you mentioned HIGH alc content, but still pale. In that case, you should look into a belgian Tripel.

Really, you could pick up almost anything in the Import section besides Heineken, and get a unique experience. Hell, you could even pick up Heineken if you want, I'm not a hater.

But in short, you are asking us for the impossible. If you can tell us "I really like xxx style, Can you suggest beers from other craft breweries that match this style" then I am sure you'll get a million replies. (Well, not a million, per se.)

Honestly, since you are still feeling out what you like or don't, I recommend just grabbing whatever you see. Try everything possible. After all, you don't know till you try it. Every beer on those shelves is just a little different from every other beer on those shelves, that's why this is such a glorious world to get into.

Best of luck.

As far as the board's favorite? Go to Beer Advocate and display the full list of every beer known to BA's site. That's about the approximation I can give you of our tastes.

Some of us like DFH60, others prefer DFH120, others like Three Philosophers, or HeBrew Bittersweet Lenny's Rye IPA or Hop Rod Rye, and then some of us like Mephistopheles and Pliny the Elder and anything with the word "Double" amplifying the strength. Then, there are guys like Biermuncher that prefer to drink session beers, many of which are even under 4% alcohol. Some of us like Guinness, some of us even like Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller High Life.

It seems like a large number of people on HBT really like Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. As for why they like it.... well, that's a long story.

You may also want to consider reading the BJCPstyle guidelines. When you find a style that sounds like something you'd like to try, then go find one of the commercial examples that is listed as being representative of that style.

I don't think opinions on the brews people like best will do you much good. Just start sampling and see what you like.

This is what I use brewfests for personally. When I go I pick out a style or a couple of styles and sample the various brewers offerings of this style. That way if one particular brewer happens to make a brew you don't care for in a certain style there might be another that does, so it doesn't turn you off from atttempting a particular style.